"Cops 'N' Robbers" Bank Heist Prototype Found

[recorderdude]

Before I start talking about this one, hi there! I'm recorderdude and it's a pleasure to join AtariAge.

 

The reason I got on here has been because of a recent acquisition of mine. I've been collecting Atari for a little under a year now, and prototypes for a little under 2 years. I tend to only go for the stuff that slips below the radar, because I figure high-dollar prototype listings are gonna go to a collector no matter what, but when people who don't know they have a proto sell them, there's a good chance someone else who doesn't know what a proto is will buy them, and it might get lost to time.

 

I've found two protos before this one, one of "Berlin Wall" for the Game Gear for $30 with a junk GG: http://www.smspower.org/forums/15084-BerlinWallPossibleDevelopmentCopyFoundUSReleaseConsiderationTies

and an "Incredible Hulk" proto for the Genesis for $11 with an amusing story of its own: http://www.sega-16.com/forum/showthread.php?30328-SEGA-Genesis-Hulk-Prototype-Found

Both seem to be final or near-final ROM.

 

I purchased this game in a lot of 2600 games - mostly doubles, but with a few other good games I didn't have like Jawbreaker and DK Jr. The seller stated this one may have been from a trade show his father went to.

 

This proto also seems to be final or near-final ROM (though I'm certainly no expert on the subject, and only played it for a few minutes to check for anything obvious), but this one has something distinctly interesting about it: a completely different game name! "Cops 'N' Robbers" - I don't know why it was changed later, maybe they were worried they might infringe on Atari's tagline for "Maze Craze"?

 

I have reason to believe it is indeed a proto as the cart top label is similar in type to the one on my Berlin Wall proto, and I literally cannot find ANYTHING when I search "Cops N Robbers Atari 2600" besides Maze Craze info.

 

Warning: big images incoming!

here's a video of the game playing. I had my difficulty switches on expert, but Bank Heist behaves the same way.

 

 

If the people here feel there's reason to dump the ROM, I'd be happy to see it preserved, but I don't have a dumper, so while I won't ask for some kinda huge sum of cash, I'd at least like some help getting it dumped (either borrowing a dumper or sending it to somebody reputable) if there's interest. At the very least, the name difference can be noted with just pictures, as like most atari games, it doesn't appear in the actual game.

 

Thanks for checking out my topic! Here's to these odd relics of the past being preserved!

Edited May 21, 2016 by recorderdude

[Wickeycolumbus]

Awesome find. Seems like a lot of rare stuff ends up unnoticed in lots, always good when they are found and info is shared.

 

I think that it's always worth dumping things like this if possible, but it's usually hard to organize this kind of thing.

[Scooter83]

Yeah tempest would be interested in learning about this title

[Andromeda Stardust]

Sweet find bro! Bank Heist is a great game...

[Foxsolo2000]

I commend you for wanting to dump it without strings. Would be nice if others thought the same way.

[+Wonder007]

I have this one along with almost all of the of the other 20th Century games in prototype form. However, your end label is intriguing.....are you planning to sell the cart? I got so many protos that now I have to collect label variations.... go figure.......

[Supergun]

This isn't any different then a demons to diamonds proto having the name hot rox written on the label. Or a no escape saying escape from Argos. Etc.

 

All the early Atari 2600 games (hell most Atari 2600 games) didn't have title screens. So regardless of what the label said or what the game was intended to be called, it's just a sample of that game. (granted, maybe an earlier build with some minor differences) but regardless, other then the novelty of a tentative working title, it's the same thing.

 

And again, and for the tenth time, freely dumping the bin from a Proto of a released game, unless it's massively different from final, is not Gods work people. It's great, it's fun, it's wonderful, yeah yeah, and we thank them for it (if and when they do it) but whatever, don't kneel down before the fellow and worship the ground he walks on. Geez.

[2600 Forever]

And again, and for the tenth time, freely dumping the bin from a Proto of a released game, unless it's massively different from final, is not Gods work people. It's great, it's fun, it's wonderful, yeah yeah, and we thank them for it (if and when they do it) but whatever, don't kneel down before the fellow and worship the ground he walks on. Geez.

Dude, his nose hair is tied in knots with RomBeggar's butt hair. They live on the planet "Gimme Gimme", forget about it.

 

[recorderdude]

Heyo! Some great information to take in here!

 

Completely different names are a normal thing for Atari, eh? Neat to know. Most of my knowledge about protos is in the later 8-bit and 16-bit eras where a different name could legitimately mean a different game build, like virus/super-early dr. mario.

 

I checked up and saw that Tempest appears to be someone quite prominent in the Atari prototype community. It'd be fantastic to get him involved here. Would it be best for me to send him a PM about this discovery or would that be out of order?

 

As for selling it, I make it a personal choice not to sell any prototype I've found until it's definitely known to be a final build ROM with nothing left to discover, and dumped if there's any doubt. My Berlin Wall proto was easy to identify as that 'cos it has the final checksum written on it, but Hulk and this one are still unknown, so I'd like to get them dumped above all else, and even then selling them is low on my priority list. Sadly the SEGA-16 members who wanted to help went kinda quiet so if I ever wanna see Hulk dumped I may just have to wait til I can afford to splurge on a retrode.

 

I don't want to preserve these to gain cred or be respected, but just because I personally feel stuff like this is a part of history not everyone really gets to see if someone doesn't. My story and my own personal attachment begins and ends with how I found the game, but the important story is that of the proto itself. Maybe it's not massively important in the grand scheme of things, hell, it's DEFINITELY not important in the grand scheme of things, but I know it's a cool find to some people, and I know one of them is definitely me. That's why I care.

 

Let me know where I should go from here with this thing and I'll be glad to push it along.

Edited May 23, 2016 by recorderdude

[Rom Hunter]

Great find.

 

I'll add this WIP title to my ROM collection info.

 

IMO it's certainly worth dumping to see if there are any differences between this one and the final version.

 

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Tempest]

I'd love to see a dump of it even if it's mostly likely not very different. I knew the game was called Roaring 20's at one point, but not Cops and Robbers. I'm surprised TCF didn't try and tack on a movie license to this. Weren't they planning a Bonnie and Clyde game at one point?

[Rom Hunter]

Weren't they planning a Bonnie and Clyde game at one point?

 

Yes Bonnie and Clyde was also one of the Bank Heist WIP titles.

 

Just as Holdup.

 

[recorderdude]

Allrighty! Since there is interest in dumping, I'd be happy to facilitate that. I checked my funds and I might actually be able to afford to get some kind of dumper, depending on how pricey it is.

 

I was gonna go for a retrode, but it seems it doesn't have Native Atari support and I'd have to build a plug-in to dump this, so are there any other options that I'd be able to dump Cops 'N' Robbers with out of the box? Bonus points if it can do genesis games, too, so I can get Hulk dumped with the same machine. Thanks!